Angles - Every Woman is a Tree

Martin Küchen: alto saxophone
Magnus Broo: trumpet
Mats Äleklint: trombone
Mattias Ståhl: vibraphone
Johan Berthling: double bass
Kjell Nordeson: drums

Magic from Sweden, published in Portugal. This Swedish band consists of Johan Berthling on double bass, Kjell Nordeson on drums, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Martin Kuchen on alto sax, Mats Aleklint on trombone and Mattias Stahl on vibraphone. The band brings a strong anti-war album here, and an ode to women in war-time, the "trees" that hold the families together. The music has this unbelievable combination of energy, melodic beauty and emotional sensitivity. Some of the tracks are wonderful, and possibly among the best I've heard this year. The opening track starts with arco bass, followed by dramatic and sad alto sax, with the vibes offering the right supportive touches, then the rhythm instruments move into a unison theme, opening the floor for the rest of the band to join in the sad melody. The bass also has a long intro for the second track, now on pizzi, for another wailing and tearful theme by the rest of the band. The title track is brilliant, with a strong and sweeping melody, very moving and heartfelt, offering lots of possibilities for expansion, and played in a wonderful African call-and-response mode, including percussive polyrhythmics and a staggering trumpet solo by Broo. And the next piece is great too, starting with a gut-wrenching sax solo by Küchen over a slow and bluesy rhythm, which offers the right background for the ensuing vibe and trombone solos. Those who know Küchen and Nordeson from their work with Exploding Customer will find similarities in the music, albeit less joyful here of course, and richer because of the additional instruments. The music is rhythmic, melodic, with a clear structural approach of theme, improvisations and back to theme, although a little more sophisticated than I describe it. But compositional power is one thing, the major achievement is in the performance itself, which is warm, sad and wonderful. A great album. (from FreeJazz)

2008 EVERY WOMAN IS A TREE (Clean Feed) rapidshare/mediafire

Angles - Epileptical West (Live in Coimbra)

Mattias Ståhl: vibraphone
Magnus Broo: trumpet
Martin Küchen: alto saxophone
Mats Äleklint: trombone
Kjell Nordeson: drums
Johan Berthling: double bass

Last year regular reader Wojtek asked me why I didn't give the previous album by Angles, "Every Woman Is A Tree" a five star rating. And I reacted saying that I really had considered it, yet did not at the last moment. I will make up for this and give the band's new release the maximum rating, because every track on the album is equally strong and compelling, while the music is powerfully expressive, the playing exuberant and full of emotional depth.

The band is the brainchild of Swedish saxophonist Martin Küchen, and further consists of Mattias Ståhl on vibraphone, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Mats Älekint on trombone, Kjell Nordeson on drums and Johan Bertling on double bass.

Like its predecessor, the music is one long wail of protest and anger against the madness of today's world. In order to do that, the band falls back on African rhythms, grand themes, and tremendous playing. The wonderful first track could be coming from Bengt Berger's "Bitter Funeral Beer", (one of my all-time favorites) with its polyrhythmic drive, strong theme and wild interactions, yet which all fit into one whole.

The second piece, "Today Is Better Than Tomorrow", starts with slow vibes, and rumbling drums, as a gradual build-up for the glorious theme, introduced by Küchen, with the other horns echoing it, and driving it forward. It is of a hair-raising sadness.

The title track starts full of disorientation and madness over a strong rhythmic backbone, with Broo's trumpet leading the tune, then changing gear into a strong African rhythm, half-funky over which a compelling theme is woven, a solid base for the individual soloists to express their anger, and joy, then shifting back into chaotic madness, with the bass driving up the tempo to give Nordeson the chance to hammer away. "En Svensk Brownie", is again a funky rhythmic delight, evolving into middle piece with the arco bass and percussion reminiscent of Hemphill's Dogon A.D.

To my great joy, they also play the title song of their previous album, an absolutely stunning, stirring, rousing composition, again a gloriously expansive piece, that is both sad and joyful, angry and inviting, full of powerful soloing. The long last track is quieter, subdued, with Küchen's soloing beautifully soulful and bluesy, giving a great sense of compassion and hope at the same time.The piece becomes excited, then is crystalised around a sensitive arco bass solo by Bertling in the middle, then moving back to the main theme and related distress.

And it is a live album, with an audience that shouts full of enthusiasm, not only after the tracks, but also when the band unexpectedly change gear, or fall back into a steady groove. Great!

As you may read, I am excited. And more than just a little. This music gets you whole: soul, mind, heart and body.

If you buy only one album this year, buy this one! (from freejazz)

2010 EPILEPTICAL WEST - LIVE IN COIMBRA (rapidshare/mediafire)

AALY Trio + Ken Vandermark - Hidden In The Stomach

AALY Trio:
Mats Gustafsson: tenor & baritone saxophones
Peter Janson: bass
Kjell Nordeson: drums, percussion
Ken Vandermark: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass-clarinet

The AALY Trio, a Swedish band made up of reedmaster Mats Gustafsson, bassist Peter Janson, and percussionist Kjell Nordeson, are joined here by Chicagoan Ken Vandermark for a rich, muscular free jazz outing. The two covers included give a good idea of the sonic roots of this group: Charlie Haden's classic "Song for Che" and a medley of Albert Ayler's "Ghosts" and "Spirits." The playing is often turbulent and roiling, but never wanders so far afield as to become divorced from the structure of the compositions, which tends to be blues based or even noir-ish. Gustafsson limits himself to tenor and baritone saxes for this date: deep, and full-throated on his "Structure a la Malle" and moody and wistful on Vandermark's "Why I Don't Go Back." Vandermark, on tenor sax, clarinet, and bass clarinet, is an ideal foil, matching him in pure ferocity and inventiveness, but reining in the proceedings when need be. Special mention must be made of Peter Janson, an extraordinary bassist with a warm, thick tone who appears to have listened closely to Haden. The varied and sensitive support provided by Janson and Nordeson are crucial to the success of this fine recording. (AMG)

1997 HIDDEN IN THE STOMACH

AALY Trio & DKV Trio - Double or Nothing

AALY TRIO (left channel):
Mats Gustafsson: alto & tenor saxophones
Kjell Nordeson: drums
Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten: bass

DKV TRIO (right channel):
Ken Vandermark: Bb & bass clarinet, tenor saxophone
Kent Kessler: bass
Hamid Drake: drums

Double or Nothing documents a meeting that was bound to happen, as likeminded and closely connected as these groups are. The Swedish AALY and Chicago DKV are both fiery powerhouse trios with a penchant for covering Albert Ayler and Don Cherry when not playing tunes of their own. DKV member Ken Vandermark has also joined AALY on each of that group's four albums. The result is what fans would expect, but no more. With AALY heard in the left channel and DKV in the right, the album opens with a recording of Vandermark's "Left to Right," which predates the version found on AALY's 2000 release, I Wonder if I Was Screaming. This time around, it kicks off with a five-minute drum duo by Kjell Nordeson and Hamid Drake. The rest of the album consists of a particularly dynamic performance -- ranging from sparsely quiet to shredding -- of Ayler's "Angels," a Vandermark favorite, which leads without break into Cherry's "Awake Nu." Both Mats Gustafsson and DKV would separately revisit "Awake Nu" in the next couple of years; these versions can be heard on The Thing (Crazy Wisdom, 2001) and Trigonometry (Okkadisk, 2002). (AMG)

2002 DOUBLE OR NOTHING